> Worker vaccinations compulsory under new Vic laws; > Electrical safety licensing system passes Parliament; and > Mandatory disease tests to protect more workers in WA.
Exclusion sanctions imposed on businesses that commit WHS breaches could be extended under a Federal Government plan to improve the safety and efficiency of the building industry.
> Mirror WHS Bill debated in WA Lower House, industry concerned; > Two duty holders charged with multiple WHS breaches after fall; and > WHS regulator investigating two falls, one fatal.
Safe Work Australia has released a series of guidance materials clarifying: PCBUs' duties to monitor the health of workers exposed to hazardous substances; the substances that trigger this obligation; and how to act on medical reports.
Mental health conditions remain a key "disruptor" in Australia's workers' comp schemes, but a low-intensity cognitive behaviour therapy program and early intervention are facilitating recovery, Comcare's CEO has told the National Workers' Compensation Summit.
A government department that was charged with category 2 WHS breaches after a motorcyclist crashed and died at a road works site, which wasn't set up on accordance with Australian Standards, has been permitted to enter a $1.4 million undertaking in lieu of prosecution.
An employer has been granted leave to challenge a decision allowing an injured worker to pursue damages in a jurisdiction with "unfettered" common law rights, with an appeals court finding the case involved important laws that apply across the country.
An employer that failed to formalise a procedure requiring a hazardous task to be performed by maintenance personnel, has been convicted and fined for exposing a worker to the risk of catastrophic injury or death.
As with asbestos, manufacturing and installing engineered stone products is likely to prove too hazardous under any system of controls, and should be banned, a NSW MLC says. Meanwhile, Victoria has introduced mandatory safety training for solar workers.
A crane operator originally charged with the manslaughter of a co-worker has pleaded guilty to reckless conduct, and faces penalties of up to five years' jail and $300,000.
